


The Tower

by Cody Nelson (codyne)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Canon - Manga, Gen, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 19:22:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12239130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codyne/pseuds/Cody%20Nelson
Summary: The boys are 19 now, and beginning to find their way as adults, but Jonouchi's future comes into question when his father is struck down by a heart attack.Content warning: hospital death watch





	The Tower

THE TOWER

Jonouchi woke with the morning sun on his face. He squinted out of one eye, saw that he was lying under the slanted window in Yugi’s attic bedroom, then rolled over onto his side with a smile, pulling the cover up over his face. He’d slept over at Yugi’s again, on the spare futon Yugi kept in a cupboard for him. He really shouldn’t stay here so often, he thought, but it was so nice at Yugi’s place. He could hear the faint sounds of Yugi’s mom making breakfast in the kitchen below, and smell the coffee wafting up the stairs. Grandpa would be down in the store, cleaning and stocking and getting ready to open. He should go down and help—it was the least he could do, for all the time he spent hanging around, sleeping in Yugi’s room and eating the Mutous’ food.

And he had his own job to get to. Reluctantly, Jonouchi opened his eyes and glanced at his watch. Early. He had time to help Grandpa for a little while, and maybe Yugi’s mom would give him some breakfast before he left. He should probably stop by his own apartment for a few minutes before he went to work, make sure his dad was okay and maybe grab a change of clothes—if he had anything cleaner than what he was already wearing. He should have a little time, if he didn’t take too long over breakfast. He’d stay at the apartment tonight, clean up the place a little, since his dad never did. See if his dad had made any effort to find work this week.

Jonouchi sighed and threw the cover off. His pants and shirt were puddled in the floor beside the futon. Quietly, he slipped them on, then rolled up the futon and cover and stuffed them back in the cupboard. Standing in the doorway, he glanced toward Yugi, whose small body almost disappeared under the thick cover, still in bed sound asleep.

Or not. Yugi’s eyes cracked open, and he smiled.

Jonouchi grinned back. “See ya, Yugi. Thanks for letting me stay.”

“I’m getting up in a minute,” Yugi said.

“Then I’ll see you downstairs. I’m going to help Grandpa for a little while before I go.”

“Great. I’ll be down soon.”

Jonouchi nodded and left the room, closing the door after him. Chances were, Yugi would fall right back to sleep and still be in bed when Jonouchi left. Yugi was not a morning person. Neither was Jonouchi, really, but he’d been getting up early since high school, delivering papers in the morning before class, so he was used to it.

He stopped in the kitchen, where Yugi’s mom was standing over the stove, stirring scrambled eggs. “Good morning, Aunt,” he greeted her. She’d told him not long after he and Yugi had graduated from high school that he was old enough now to call her by her first name, but he’d said he’d rather keep calling her “Aunt” as long as she didn’t mind. She’d given him a hug and told him he was practically family anyway, so as long as he didn’t start calling her “Grandma,” he could go right ahead. He still got a warm feeling in his chest whenever he thought about that. He no longer used the child’s language of calling his elders “Aunt” and “Uncle” or “Grandmother” and “Grandfather” with anyone else, but Yugi’s mom and grandfather were still “Aunt” and “Grandpa” to him.

Yugi’s mom turned, spatula in her hand. “Good morning, Katsuya. Have some coffee.” Just as she was the only adult he still called “Aunt,” she was the only adult outside of his family who called him by his given name.

“In a bit. I’m going to help Grandpa first.”

She smiled. “You’ll stay for breakfast, then. Where is that lazy son of mine?”

“He said he’d be down in a minute.”

She rolled her eyes, knowing as well as Jonouchi how much Yugi liked to sleep in. “Well, tell Grandpa breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes. I’ll get Yugi.” She gestured with the spatula. 

Jonouchi knew she’d use it. He laughed. “See ya in ten minutes.”

Grandpa was busy behind the counter of the game shop, arranging the day’s displays. Jonouchi headed straight for the closet, telling Grandpa good morning as he squeezed behind him, grabbing the broom and dustpan and getting started sweeping the floors.

“Good morning, Jonouchi. Thank you.”

“No problem. Aunt said breakfast in ten minutes.”

Grandpa nodded and went back to work. Jonouchi hummed as he swept. He loved these mornings at Yugi’s place, the easy warmth, the feeling of belonging. Wouldn’t it be great if he could just stay here all the time! He knew he was welcome—they’d even offered to fix up a spare room for him—but he couldn’t leave his father. Once his dad got back on his feet. Found a job and stopped drinking so much. Dad kept promising he would, but so far, he hadn’t had any luck. So Jonouchi would keep looking out for him.

He’d finished sweeping and was helping Grandpa put up posters for the new games when they heard Yugi’s mom call down that breakfast was ready. They put the tacks and step-ladder aside and headed up to the dining room, where Yugi was already seated, looking rumpled and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Yugi smiled sheepishly as he said good morning to his Grandpa and Jonouchi.

“Sorry, Grandpa,” Yugi added. “I’ll close up for you today.” Yugi was meant to be working in the store every day, helping Grandpa and learning the business so that he could one day take over when Grandpa retired. But Grandpa showed no sign of slowing down, and was so used to doing everything himself that there was no real need for Yugi to do much more than try out the new games and attract customers with his reputation as the King of Duel Monsters. Still, Yugi worked hard when he could—just not early in the morning!

“That’s all right,” Grandpa said. “I had this fine young man’s help this morning.”

Jonouchi beamed as he took his place at the table next to Yugi. He knew Grandpa was just needling Yugi, but he still ate up the compliment. Yugi elbowed him with a grin. “Jonouchi should come and live with us full time. Then he could help you every morning and I could sleep in.”

Yugi’s mom smacked Yugi on the back of his head with the handle of her serving ladle. Yugi yelped and grabbed his head. “Katsuya has his own work to do,” Yugi’s mom scolded. “You’re just lucky he’s such a hard-working boy.”

“I know,” Yugi said, rubbing the back of his head. He leaned against Jonouchi. “Jonouchi’s the best.”

Jonouchi grinned, ducked his head and dug into his breakfast. He wished he could stay. Just another hour, if he skipped going home and went straight to work—but he’d done that too often lately. He hadn’t been home in three—no, four—days now. He’d brought some groceries last time he’d been to the apartment, but he should check up on his dad, and see if he needed anything else.

Maybe this time he’d go home and find his dad sober, just out of the shower, getting dressed for an interview, or even a job. Maybe his dad would say, “Katsuya, welcome home, thanks for paying the rent these past months, but I’ve got work now, so I’ll take over.” Maybe he’d say, “Sorry I’ve been hard on you, but things will be better now.”

And maybe Jonouchi’d win the lottery. Hey, a guy could dream.

* * *

Jonouchi opened the door of his apartment, sliding his keys back into his pocket and calling out, “I’m home!” and then freezing for a moment at the sight of his father crumpled in the floor in front of the sofa.

He sighed. Passed out drunk again. But something about his father’s position made him uneasy as he went over and crouched at his father’s side. “Hey, Dad, wake up,” he said, taking his father’s arm. The elder Jonouchi’s face was gray and slack, and his eyes remained closed. There was a sick feeling in Jonouchi’s stomach as he shook his father harder. “Dad! Wake up!” 

Still no response. “Dad, please....” His father was limp, no sign of consciousness, not even a groan. Jonouchi glanced around. No liquor bottles on the floor. Something was wrong. His father hadn’t just passed out drunk. Jonouchi stood up and looked around helplessly. His father was sick. He needed to get help. He went to the phone and picked up the receiver. But what if his father really was just drunk? He’d be furious if Jonouchi called an ambulance. Jonouchi looked at his father lying in the floor. No, he wasn’t just drunk. Jonouchi was sure. Pretty sure, anyway. Jonouchi took a deep breath and punched in the emergency number.

Somehow, stumbling over his own words and second-guessing himself, he managed to tell the operator what was wrong. Assured that an ambulance was on the way, Jonouchi made himself stop trying to explain and hung up. He looked at his father, who still hadn’t moved. Be just like him to wake up now, and yell at Jonouchi for making a fuss.

Next, he phoned the factory and told them he wasn’t coming in to work. They didn’t seem to care, just told him to call when he was ready to come back. The implication was that his job might be waiting—or it might not. Jonouchi didn’t have time to worry about it. He hung up again.

Jonouchi was still gripping the receiver in his hand. Yugi’d be at work by now. Jonouchi shouldn’t bother him, especially when he didn’t really know what was going on. He could call once he got to the hospital and found out if his father was really sick.

Jonouchi took a deep breath, and called Yugi’s number.

* * *

Yugi sat leaning against Jonouchi’s side in the hospital waiting room. As always, Jonouchi was a bundle of nervous energy, fidgeting and picking at the hem of his shirt, constantly glancing up at the clock on the wall. “It’s been over an hour now. I’m really worried.”

“He’ll be all right,” Yugi said. “The doctors will take good care of him.”

“Yugi, I….” Jonouchi balled his hands into fists. “I should have been there. I haven’t been home in days! Who knows how long he’d been lying there! If I’d found him sooner....”

“You couldn’t have known! It’s not your fault.”

“Yes it is!” He pounded his fists on his thighs. “You guys—you and your family—you’re so good to me, I really want to just stay with you all the time. Your mom even told me I should move out and let him take care of himself, but I couldn’t do it. He’s my dad!”

“Mama told you…?” Yugi knew his mom didn’t think much of Jonouchi’s dad, but never knew she’d talked to him about it.

“She said maybe it was too easy for him, with me paying all the bills and doing all the work. He didn’t have any reason to try. She said if I moved out, maybe he’d pull himself together and get a job.”

Yugi had to admit he’d thought the same thing himself. But he wouldn’t tell Jonouchi that, especially not now. It would only upset him. “But you haven’t moved out. You go home a lot.”

“I started thinking to myself, maybe she’s right. Maybe I should leave. Anyway, it’s my life, right? Why shouldn’t I do what I want for a change? I stayed away more and more. I was so selfish! And now he’s in the hospital! He must really be sick, or they would have said something by now.”

Yugi sighed. Jonouchi could be so hard on himself. And when he got like this, there was no talking him out of it. If Honda were here, he’d probably smack Jonouchi a good one, to knock some sense into him. But Yugi could never hit Jonouchi, even if he thought it would help.

Instead, he took Jonouchi’s arm in his hand, and rested his head on Jonouchi’s shoulder. Probably he shouldn’t be doing this, either—they weren’t schoolboys any more. They were nineteen now, adults, who should be treating each other like men. But he didn’t feel very adult. He felt helpless. His friend was hurting, and he didn’t know what to do.

Jonouchi threw an arm around Yugi’s neck and pulled him close, so tight that Yugi could barely breathe. He didn’t complain, though. Jonouchi obviously didn’t feel like acting like an adult, either. At least they didn’t have to worry about what anyone else might think—Jonouchi could still pass for a high school student, while Yugi still had a hard time convincing strangers he was out of middle school.

They sat that way for a while, not talking, until a doctor came in, looked around, and beckoned to Jonouchi. Jonouchi disentagled himself and went over to him.

Yugi couldn’t hear what the doctor was saying, but he saw the color drain from Jonouchi’s face, saw him stagger back as if he’d been hit. “No!” he heard Jonouchi protest. Then Jonouchi turned to Yugi, with a wordless look of need. Yugi immediately jumped up and went over to him.

Jonouchi gripped Yugi’s arm roughly, then turned to the doctor. “How long has he got?”

“Not long. Days at the most. Maybe hours.”

“Can I see him?”

“Yes, but he’s still unconscious. I’ll take you to him.”

Jonouchi nodded, and turned to follow the doctor out of the waiting room. There was no need to ask if Jonouchi wanted Yugi to come with him—he was still holding tightly to Yugi’s arm, hauling him along beside him.

Yugi had never actually met Jonouchi’s father. The closest he’d come was that one time, back in high school, when he and Honda and Anzu had gone to Jonouchi’s apartment after school. Jonouchi hadn’t been in school that day, so they’d gone to see if he was at home. No one had answered, but Honda had found the door unlocked and peeked in. Jonouchi’s father, thinking it was Jonouchi coming home, had shouted abuse and thrown a bottle at the door. All Yugi’d seen was a glimpse of some boots through the door before they’d run off.

Now he was lying in a hospital bed, dying. The doctor led them to the room, then left them alone with the unconscious man. Jonouchi’s father lay still, unmoving, face gray and slack. He looked old and sick, but Yugi could see the family resemblance. Jonouchi finally let go of Yugi’s arm—Yugi was sure he’d have bruises—and sat in the chair by the bed. He reached out and touched his father’s arm. “Dad,” he said quietly. The form in the bed didn’t respond. Jonouchi didn’t say anything else.

Yugi stood for a moment, torn between his desire to stay with his friend, and his promise to call his family and let them know what was going on. Perhaps now, with Jonouchi completely focused on his father, would be a good time to leave them alone for a short time.

“Jonouchi?” Yugi said softly. Jonouchi didn’t move. “I should go call Mama. I promised I’d let her know as soon as we found out.” Both Mama and Grandpa would want to come and be with Jonouchi. Grandpa might even close the store early. They’d both grown very fond of Jonouchi, and it warmed Yugi’s heart that they treated his friend like family.

Jonouchi gave a slight nod, his only acknowledgment of Yugi’s comment.

“Don’t you think you should call your mother, too?” Jonouchi’s mother and sister were not close to the senior Jonouchi any more, but he was still their family, and they should know that he was dying. Shizuka, at least, was still close to Jonouchi, and would want to come, for his sake. Yugi hoped Jonouchi’s mother would allow it.

Jonouchi looked at his watch and shrugged. “Mom’s at work, and I don’t know the number there. And Shizuka’s at school. I’ll call them later.”

They would also want to call Honda. They didn’t see him as much as they used to when they were in school, but he was still their friend and would want to know. He worked at his father’s factory, and wasn’t allowed to take phone calls while he was working, except in case of emergencies. Yugi didn’t know whether a friend’s father dying would be considered an emergency, but they could call him at noon when he took his lunch break.

Anzu was in New York studying dance, fulfilling her long-held dream. She wouldn’t be able to come, but they would call her and let her know anyway. The four of them had sworn to be friends forever, no matter how far away. She would want to know.

But those calls would have to wait. “Okay, I’ll just call Mama for now. I’ll grab some drinks for us, too. What would you like, Jonouchi?”

Jonouchi just shrugged. No matter, Yugi knew Jonouchi’s favorite drinks. He patted Jonouchi’s shoulder and left.

When he returned, Jonouchi was still sitting hunched over at the side of the bed. Yugi handed him a can of coffee and sat in the chair beside him, popping his own can of Coke. “Mama will be here in a little while. Grandpa will come this evening, after he closes the store.”

Jonouchi nodded, surreptitiously wiping a tear from his eye. Yugi pulled his chair closer to Jonouchi’s and sat with him. He didn’t know how long they would be there, but he wasn’t going to leave his friend’s side.

* * *

Yugi’s mother stifled a yawn, and glanced at her watch. It was nearly 8 PM, and Katsuya’s mother and sister should have been here at the hospital hours ago. She herself had been here since morning, and she was getting very tired. She’d brought lunch and snacks for the boys—men, really, but she couldn’t stop thinking of Yugi and Katsuya as boys. She’d told Katsuya he was a good man and none of this was his fault. And she’d sat with them as Katsuya’s father lay still, barely breathing, slowly making his way out of this world. Once Yugi’s Grandpa had arrived with dinner several hours ago, they’d all told her she should go home and rest. There was no telling how long Jonouchi’s father would linger, and they didn’t all have to stay until the end.

She would go home soon, she’d promised them, but she wanted to have a word with Katsuya’s mother before she left, so she was currently alone in the waiting room drinking coffee while Honda and Grandpa were sitting with the boys. Mrs Jonouchi had called the hospital when she got home from work at 5:30, and said she and Shizuka would be there soon. Mrs Mutou didn’t know what Mrs Jonouchi called “soon,” but two and a half hours was stretching it. Of course, there could have been unforeseen delays. But Mrs Jonouchi could have called to say she was going to be late.

Mrs Mutou sipped her coffee and tried to calm herself. She did not want to be angry or impatient when she talked to Katsuya’s mother. This must be done delicately, or she would only make an enemy of her son’s best friend’s mother, and she did not want to do that.

There, a woman and a girl of about 16 were entering the waiting room. Mrs Mutou had never met Mrs Jonouchi or Shizuka, but the family resemblance was striking. She stood up, put a sympathetic smile on her face, and walked over to the pair.

“Hello, you must be Mrs Jonouchi and Shizuka. I’m Kimiko Mutou, Katsuya is my son Yugi’s best friend. Katsuya stays often at our house. I’m very pleased to meet you.” She bowed, perhaps a little more deeply than strictly necessary, and added the polite phrases requesting favor.

The other woman returned the bow. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Yasuko Jonouchi, and this is my daughter Shizuka. Thank you for meeting us. Perhaps you will take us to Katsuya now.”

Mrs Mutou’s smile didn’t waver, although Mrs Jonouchi was rather abrupt. _It’s no good being in a big hurry now,_ she thought, _after taking over two hours to get here._ “Yes, of course, I will take you to him in just a moment. But first, I wanted to have a word with you about Katsuya. You don’t see him often any more, so perhaps you would like to know. You can be very proud of him. He’s a fine, hard-working young man.“

“He works in a factory,” Mrs Jonouchi said dismissively.

Mrs Mutou felt her anger rise, but she kept a pleasant smile on her face. “Yes. He took the best job he could find as soon as he got out of high school, in order to support himself and his father.”

Mrs Jonouchi’s face hardened. “That man. He shouldn’t have. Well, soon he won’t have to. I suppose it’s a kind of a blessing.”

“I confess, I’ve thought the same thing,” Mrs Mutou said, maintaining her outwardly agreeable demeanor, while inside she fumed. “I encouraged Katsuya to move in with us, take his time to find a better life for himself. I told him that his father was a grown man who should be taking care of himself, but that as long as Katsuya continued to do everything for him, he would feel no pressure to do so. But Katsuya was determined. Somehow, he felt that it was his fault his father was that way, and it was his responsibility to take care of him. I don’t know why he would feel that way, do you?”

“No, I don’t know,” Mrs Jonouchi insisted, although her face grew red. “Whatever his father might have told him, I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t there.”

Mrs Mutou noticed Shizuka standing near them, listening intently to the two women. “It must have been very hard for you, divorcing when you had two young children. I’m sure you did the very best you could, but Katsuya must have wondered why you took your daughter with you, and left your son behind.”

Mrs Jonouchi’s face hardened. “You don’t know what it’s like to be left alone without a husband, and children to care for!”

Mrs Mutou smiled sweetly. “Of course you’re right. My son Yugi was just a baby when his father died and left us alone, but we had his grandfather to take us in. We were very fortunate.”

Katsuya’s mother’s flinched, embarrassment dissolving the hardness in her face. She took a deep breath, then spoke simply. “When Katsuya’s father and I divorced, my sister offered to take me in. She let me bring Shizuka, but there was no room for Katsuya. And, to be honest, I didn’t think I could handle Katsuya on my own. Even as a young boy, he was always headstrong. Not bad, but willful. He would not back down from anything.” She laughed shortly. “He reminded me so much of his father. I thought his father would be better able to take care of him. And that the responsibility of taking care of his son would make his father take care of himself. Unfortunately, it didn’t work that way. My husband only got worse, and Katsuya grew more wild. I was so afraid he would turn out just like his father.”

“Then you should be glad to know he hasn’t. Katsuya is a good man. But you must have realized that when he paid for his sister’s eye operation.”

Shizuka nodded, and gave her mother a look. Mrs Jonouchi sighed. “Yes, of course. He means well. But he won the money in a contest, and afterwards went right back to his old ways. His father would have done the same thing, if he’d had a good day gambling. I... couldn’t have faith that it meant he’d changed.”

“Well, he works very hard now. He goes to his job every day without fail, and often helps out at our store as well. Every yen he earns goes to support himself and his father. I’m proud to have him as a friend to my family.”

Mrs Jonouchi allowed a small smile. “Well, if that’s so, I am glad. Thank you for taking care of him.”

“It’s my son Yugi you should thank. To be honest, when Katsuya first started coming around, I was worried. I’d heard his reputation and was afraid he might get Yugi into trouble. But I soon realized that Katsuya would never allow my son to be hurt. He is devoted to Yugi. You see, Yugi believed in Katsuya when no one else did, even Katsuya himself. He gave Katsuya the courage to believe in himself.”

Mrs Jonouchi thought about that for a moment. “Then I will thank Yugi. He’s here?”

“Yes, he’s here. He won’t leave Katsuya’s side. I’ll take you to them now.”

* * *

Jonouchi leaned back and yawned, stretching his arms out widely. It had been a long day, and he was sore and tired from sitting for so long. His father hadn’t moved or shown any sign of awareness all day. Jonouchi couldn’t help but wonder if it was his fault. If he’d been home when his father collapsed, maybe he could have helped him sooner. Gotten him to the hospital in time to save him. Maybe it was his fault his father was in such bad shape to begin with. He should have stayed home more often, talked to his father more. Convinced him to stop drinking, or at least slow down, and look for a job. He could have helped his father find a job. Watered down his booze. Worked harder, himself, and paid off his father’s debts. He could have gotten a second job, instead of spending so much time hanging out at Yugi’s place. He should have done something, anything, to stop his father’s downward spiral. He couldn’t help thinking that if he’d just tried harder, worked harder, been smarter, he could have saved his father.

But his father wasn’t dead yet. Jonouchi clung to that. Sure, the doctors were certain his father was dying, but doctors weren’t always right. He remembered Battle City, after his duel with Marik, the doctor thought Jonouchi would die, but he was wrong. Jonouchi’d gotten right up and walked away like nothing had happened.

Of course, there was a reason Jonouchi had survived Marik’s attack. Jonouchi’d had his friends standing by him, giving him strength. Jonouchi glanced over at Yugi, sitting in the chair beside him, chin in his hand, eyes drooping from weariness. Yugi had been with him all day, never once seeming impatient or wanting to leave. Jonouchi’s heart warmed to have Yugi with him. And on the other side of the bed sat Honda and Yugi’s Grandpa. They, too, were here to support him. Jonouchi’s father didn’t have any friends like that, so where would he get his strength? Jonouchi would just have to provide it himself. He was determined to stay right here at his father’s side, as long as it took. The Jonouchi men were strong. Maybe not always smart, but tough. Jonouchi would just have to have faith that his father might still pull through.

His mother and Shizuka should be here, too. Jonouchi honestly didn’t know whether his mother cared if his father lived or died, but Shizuka, at least, would want to help. She’d been there at Battle City, she knew how important it was to be there for your family.

He heard a noise at the door behind him, and turned to see Yugi’s mom come into the room, followed by his own mother and Shizuka. Jonouchi jumped up and ran the two steps to his sister, throwing his arms around her. “Shizuka!” She buried her face in his chest, a muffled “Big brother!” said into his shirt. Still holding his sister in his arms, he looked up and smiled raggedly at his mother over her shoulder. “Ma. I’m glad you guys could make it.”

His mother smiled back, somewhat pained, but at least she tried. “Hello, Katsuya.” He steeled himself for the inevitable judgment: why hadn’t he been there, how had he let things get so bad, he’d messed up again, but his mother didn’t say anything more. He glanced at Yugi’s mom, who stood by with a satisfied look on her face. Jonouchi knew that look. He could almost see her with her ladle in her hand, ready to strike. He swallowed a harsh laugh.

He let go of Shizuka, keeping an arm around her shoulder, and made the introductions. “Ma, this is my friend, Yugi. I see you’ve met his mother. This is Yugi’s grandpa, and my friend Honda. You guys already know my sister Shizuka.”

Honda came around the bed to greet Shizuka, who smiled shyly at him. Jonouchi suppressed the urge to yell at Honda for flirting with his sister. Not now. But later, if he didn’t back off. And the familiar game of fighting with Honda made him feel better, for some reason. Almost as good as Yugi smiling up at him. It almost felt like the old gang was back together, standing up to anything.

Yugi’s Grandpa was getting up, too, bowing greetings at the new arrivals. “Please take my chair, Mrs Jonouchi,” he said, then, to Jonouchi, “Now that your family is here, I’ll go home. I have to get up early to open the store, and I’m not as young as I used to be! But please call me if anything happens.”

“Grandpa, thanks for coming. I’m sorry I won’t be able to help you open the store tomorrow.”

“Of course, Jonouchi. No need to be sorry. You need to stay with your family. I’ll come back if you need me. Just call.”

Yugi’s mother joined Grandpa. “I’ll go, too. But as Grandpa said, call if you need us. I’ll come back in the morning, if....”

_If._ If his father was still alive. “Thanks, Aunt. You’ve been great. I’ll see you tomorrow.” One way or another.

The two left. Honda gave Shizuka his chair, then went off to get drinks for everyone and find himself another chair. Jonouchi sat down, suddenly nervous again. With Aunt gone, would his mother take the opportunity now to tell him everything he’d done wrong? But no, she just sat on the other side of the room, watching the still form of her ex-husband on the bed. So Jonouchi relaxed, asked Shizuka about school, and chatted with her until Honda came back with an armful of canned coffee and soft drinks, and a folded chair slung over his shoulder. Honda bustled around distributing the drinks, and setting his chair beside Jonouchi, on the other side from Yugi. Then Honda took over the conversation, and for once, Jonouchi was content to let him. They talked about school, and the old days, and Battle City, and Jonouchi let it all wash over him, his friends and his sister and even his mother with him.

While they talked, Jonouchi watched his father, searching for some sign that his father was still there. _Here we are, Dad,_ he thought. _Ma and Shizuka and me and my friends. We’re all here for you. I won’t leave you. Please come back to us._

The man on the bed remained still.

* * *

Jonouchi’s mother and sister left around 2 AM. Jonouchi gave them the keys to his apartment, telling them that it was empty, anyway, and they might as well stay there instead of paying for a hotel. Ma could have his father’s room, and Shizuka could stay in his room. As for him, Jonouchi had no intention of going anywhere. He refused to consider that his father might not last the night.

As she and Shizuka were leaving, his mother stopped in the doorway and turned to him. “Katsuya,” she said, “when the time comes, I’ll split the funeral costs with you. You can do whatever you want with his possessions, and the apartment. I don’t want any of his things. I think... that’s fair, don’t you?”

“He’s not going to die,” Jonouchi insisted.

“Well.” His mother took a deep breath. “In any case. When the time comes.”

Jonouchi wanted to argue. But he realized that his mother was just trying to take some of the weight off him. “Okay,” he said. “Thanks.”

* * *

Now it was just the three of them, Honda, Jonouchi, and Yugi, all lined up on one side of the room. He could move back over to the other side, Honda thought, but decided after all he’d prefer to stay where he was. He wanted to be handy in case Jonouchi went off—he hoped it wouldn’t happen, but Jonouchi was wound up tight as a drum, trying desperately to shove all his pain away and pretend his father was going to be fine. Honda recognized that look on Jonouchi’s face from back in the bad old days. Any little thing could set him off, and he’d be looking for something or someone to smash up. Honda didn’t think even Yugi knew that look as well as Honda did—when Jonouchi became friends with Yugi was when the self-hatred had begun to fade away. But it was still there, underneath, brought back by the painful situation he was going through. Honda would stay beside Jonouchi and stand his ground.

And besides, it was nice being all lined up together like this. It reminded him of the good days, in high school, when they were together all the time, ready to take on anything. Except....

“Anybody know what time it is in New York?” Honda asked.

“New York?” Jonouchi asked. Then, “Anzu!” She had fulfilled her dream, and gone to New York to study dance after high school.

“I think it’s eleven hours difference,” Yugi said. “So if it’s two AM here, it’s three PM there. Or maybe one PM, I don’t remember which way it goes.”

“Close enough,” Honda said. He pulled out his cell phone and started going through his contacts to find Anzu’s number.

“If it’s the middle of the afternoon, she’s probably in school,” Yugi said.

“Whatever,” Honda said. The phone had begun to ring. “If she doesn’t want to answer, I’ll just leave a message.”

“Hello?” Anzu said, in lightly accented English. Her voice was echoey from the distance.

“Anzu! It’s me, Honda!”

“Honda!” She switched instantly to rapid-fire Japanese. “It’s so good to hear your voice! Is everyone there with you? What’s going on? It must be... two in the morning there!”

Honda chuckled. “Yeah, we’re all here. We’re at the hospital. It’s Jonouchi’s father.”

“Oh no! Poor Jonouchi! What happened?”

“His father had a heart attack early this morning. The doctors say....” He glanced over at Jonouchi. “It doesn’t look good. Yugi and Jonouchi have been here since this morning. I came after work. Jonouchi’s mom and sister Shizuka were here for a while, and so were Yugi’s mom and Grandpa, but they’ve all gone now and it’s just the three of us. We thought you should be here with us, too, if you’ve got some time to hang out.”

“Oh, yes, my classes are over for the day, so I can talk as long as I want! Do you have speakerphone?”

“Uh. I don’t think so. You know me, Anzu, just the basics.”

She laughed. “All right, we’ll just take turns. But let me talk to Jonouchi first.”

Honda handed the phone off to Jonouchi, who took it eagerly, and began quizzing Anzu on her life in New York. Honda leaned back, relaxing a little. Now the gang was all together again! The distraction would do Jonouchi some good. He glanced at Yugi across Jonouchi’s shoulders, and Yugi gave him a quick thumbs up. It had been a good idea.

After a while, Jonouchi gave the phone to Yugi, and leaned back with a sigh. Now that he wasn’t strung tight with tension, Jonouchi looked completely exhausted. Honda yawned deeply. He was tired, too. If he was going to even try to go to work tomorrow, he’d have to think about leaving soon.

But for now, everything was okay. The four of them were together, and they could handle anything.

* * *

An hour later, Jonouchi’s father quietly passed away.

* * *

It was nearly dawn by the time they got home. Early morning light had begun to filter in through the window, so Yugi didn’t bother to turn a light on in his room, he just pulled off his outer clothes and crawled into bed, so tired he could barely see. Jonouchi stumbled around the dimly lit room, struggling with his jacket and shoes, sniffling and muttering under his breath. He fumbled with the cupboard door where his futon was stored. Yugi heard a thump, an angrily whispered exclamation, and what sounded like a fist slamming into the cupboard. Yugi tried to get his hands under himself to push himself up so that he could go help Jonouchi, but he could barely lift his head.

Never mind. Sharing a bed was one more thing they were too old to be doing any more, but Yugi didn’t care. Not when Jonouchi was hurting. “Jonouchi,” he said, lifting the cover in invitation.

There was a pause, a gasping sob, and then Jonouchi was collapsing onto the bed, curled up on his side, his back to Yugi. “Sorry, Yugi,” Jonouchi said softly, then burst into tears.

“It’s okay, Jonouchi. It’s okay.” Yugi put his hand on Jonouchi’s shoulder. Jonouchi turned over, buried his face in Yugi’s t-shirt and sobbed.

Yugi wanted to cry himself. But that wouldn’t help Jonouchi, so he held his tears back. But what could he do? He felt so helpless. Why couldn’t he think of something to help? Honda had come up with the idea of calling Anzu—that was a really good idea. Shizuka had shared stories of their childhood, good times with their father before the divorce. Even Yugi’s mom had helped with whatever she’d said to Jonouchi’s mom—Yugi would have to ask her about that one day, although he knew his own mother well enough to guess. All Yugi himself had done was sit there beside Jonouchi, waiting out the day, occasionally getting coffee or snacks. Ordinary stuff. Things anybody could do. But he didn’t know what else he could have done.

And now he was just lying here, with his hand on Jonouchi’s shoulder. Wasn’t there something he could say, besides telling Jonouchi it was okay, when it obviously wasn’t? Yugi didn’t know. But it was all he could think of, so he went on murmuring comfort words and rubbing Jonouchi’s shoulder.

Jonouchi did seem to be relaxing, his sobs easing. Probably, he was just too exhausted to keep it up for long, but Yugi continued what he was doing, just in case it was actually helping. Finally, Jonouchi drew a shuddering breath, let go of Yugi’s shirt and wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

“Yugi?” Jonouchi said softly.

Yugi replied with a squeeze of Jonouchi’s shoulder.

“Yugi, thank you. For everything, I mean. For sticking with me through this whole thing. You were there the whole time. That really means a lot to me.”

Yugi smiled. “I’m glad. I wish there was more I could do.”

“No, Yugi, you did everything. Being there with me, that was everything. You’re the best, Yugi.”

Yugi pressed his forehead against Jonouchi’s, just for a moment. “So are you, Jonouchi. You’re the best.”

At last, they fell asleep.

* * *

The first thought to hit Jonouchi’s mind when he woke up was, Dad is dead. Jonouchi sucked in air, cried for a little while, then wiped his face on his sleeve and tried to figure out where he was, and what time it was. The light was wrong for morning, and that was Yugi’s desk, but he wasn’t on his futon... then he remembered: coming home late last night, or early this morning, stumbling around in the half-light, then falling into bed with Yugi. He looked around. Yugi wasn’t there, he must have gotten up already. According to Yugi’s alarm clock, it was after three o’clock. He’d slept most of the day away.

Groaning, Jonouchi forced himself out of bed. His clothes were neatly folded on the dresser—Yugi, again. Jonouchi had dropped his things where he took them off, too tired too care where they landed. He took his shirt and trousers and started pulling them on. His head swam, and he had to hold onto the dresser to keep his balance. His stomach churned. Endless cans of coffee, hospital snacks, stress, and misery. He wanted to go back to bed. But he’d wasted enough of the day.

He went downstairs to the kitchen, where Yugi’s mom was cleaning vegetables. She turned and smiled when she saw him. “Good morning, Katsuya.”

“Good morning, Aunt. Not really morning any more, though. What can I do to help?”

“You can sit down over there and keep me company. I’ll get you something to eat. How are you feeling today?”

“Pretty awful, I guess. Is Yugi downstairs at the store?” Jonouchi sat at the breakfast table and began fiddling with the soy sauce bottle.

“Yes, he’s helping Grandpa. You look tired, Katsuya. Why don’t you eat, and then go back upstairs and lie down?”

“I should be doing something,” Jonouchi said. “I’ve already wasted most of the day.”

Yugi’s mom put together a place of curry rice from leftovers in the refrigerator, and put it in the microwave, then turned to Jonouchi, wiping her hands on her apron. “You were up all night, and you’ve had a horrible shock. I think you can take a day to rest.”

“No, I... I don’t know. I keep thinking about everything I have to do. I have to take care of Dad’s stuff. And the apartment, I don’t know if I should keep it. And my job, I have to call them. I have to figure out when I’m going back. If I’m going to. I should call Ma and start planning the funeral. I can’t just....” Jonouchi set the soy sauce bottle down carefully, and rubbed his eyes with his fist.

“Katsuya. I know you have things to take care of, but it doesn’t all have to be done today, does it?” She got a can of Coke from the refrigerator and sat it in front of Jonouchi.

Jonouchi picked up the Coke. It was Yugi’s drink, not his—he generally preferred coffee—but he’d drunk so much coffee at the hospital, he was happy for something different. And also for something that reminded him of Yugi. “No, I guess not.”

“Katsuya, you know you don’t have to go back to that job if you don’t want to. You can stay with us as long as you want. Yugi would love to have you, and Grandpa appreciates your help in the store.”

Jonouchi took a deep breath, trying not to start crying again. “Thanks, Aunt.” There was nothing he’d like more than to quit factory work and move in with the Mutous. He’d dreamed about it for months. But it wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be his reward for getting his father back on his feet, not for letting him die.

Yugi’s mom patted him on the shoulder. “Now you’ll have something to eat, then you can go back upstairs and rest.” She got the plate of curry rice out of the microwave, and sat it in front of him with a spoon.

It smelled delicious. Jonouchi found that he was starving. He picked up the spoon and dug in.

* * *

Mokuba thumbed off the call on his cell phone, staring at it thoughtfully for a moment before looking up at his brother, seated at his desk with his fingers flying aross the laptop keyboard, busy as always. “That was Yugi,” Mokuba said.

Without looking up from his work, Kaiba asked, “Did you ask him about the opening?”

Even though it was months away, they were planning the grand opening ceremonies for the new Tokyo Kaiba Land. Kaiba—to Mokuba’s surprise—had suggested asking Yugi to make a guest appearance at at one of their events. Even now, Yugi’s back-to-back victories at Duelist Kingdom and Battle City were endlessly discussed and dissected by Duel Monsters aficianados. Yugi would certainly be a big draw, but Mokuba knew his brother’s loss at Battle City still stung. Maybe Kaiba was finally mellowing.

Still, Mokuba had been delegated to make the request. Big brother wouldn’t do it himself. “Sorry, it wasn’t a good time. Yugi called to say that Jonouchi’s father has passed away. Yugi’s pretty upset. Jonouchi’s not handling it well at all.”

Kaiba paused to glance over at Mokuba disdainfully. “I thought Jonouchi’s father was an abusive drunk. Jonouchi should be glad to be rid of him.”

Well, maybe not all that mellow. “Yugi says Jonouchi blames himself. Thinks if he’d worked harder, been at home more, been somehow perfect, his father wouldn’t have died.”

Kaiba scoffed. “Well, that was never going to happen, was it?”

Mokuba shook his head, smiling ruefully. Big brother still had a blind spot where Jonouchi was concerned. “You know, Yugi’s not likely to agree to go to Tokyo without Jonouchi. They’re still practically joined at the hip. And Jonouchi’s not likely to agree to go if he’s still moping around feeling like a horrible failure. Especially not if he has to face you sneering at him.”

Kaiba huffed, then sighed. “I suppose we should send a funeral gift. Will you see to it?” He turned back to his laptop.

“I think we should deliver it in person. Jonouchi’s staying wtih Yugi for a whille. We could go over there this evening and see them both.”

The typing resumed, a bit emphatically. “I’m not sure I want Yugi at the opening that badly.”

“Big Brother,” Mokuba said, in his serious voice. He waited until Kaiba had stopped typing and looked back at him before continuing. “Forget about the opening. Yugi and Jonouchi are our friends. Or they should be,” to Kaiba’s skeptical look, “after all we’ve been through together. You better than anyone know what it’s like to have a cruel father with unreasonable expectations.”

There was a long pause while Kaiba mulled it over. Finally, he said, “All right, we’ll go over there this evening. But I’m not going to the funeral.”

“Agreed.” Easy enough, since they hadn’t been invited to the funeral. After all, they’d never even met Jonouchi’s father. “I’ll call Yugi and let him know.”

Kaiba nodded and sighed, then went back to work.

* * *

Jonouchi was upstairs napping when Mokuba called back, and Yugi decided to let him sleep until the Kaiba brothers arrived. Jonouchi had been working himself to the bone these last few days, negotiating with his father’s landlord for how long he’d have to get the apartment cleared out, trying to sell the furniture and borrow a truck to haul away his and his father’s belongings, butting heads with his mother about funeral arrangements, and trying to figure out how he was going to pay for it all. On top of all that, he was still bursting into tears at intervals when his father’s death hit him. Yugi thought that, having finally been talked into lying down for a “quick nap” and falling into a deep sleep, Jonouchi should be left to rest as long as possible. Besides, Jonouchi wasn’t going to be thrilled about seeing Kaiba. No point letting him get himself worked up about it before Kaiba even got here.

Evening came, and Yugi was helping Grandpa close up the store when Kaiba and Mokuba arrived. Grandpa greeted them a bit stiffly—he’d never quite forgiven Kaiba for tearing up his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card—and excused himself.

“Hello, Kaiba, Mokuba,” Yugi said. “It’s good to see you. Jonouchi’s upstairs, why don’t you come up?”

Mokuba was about to follow Yugi, but Kaiba stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll wait here. We can’t stay long.”

Yugi nodded. He knew it had to be Mokuba who’d pressed for this visit—Kaiba was just as prickly around Jonouchi as Jonouchi was around Kaiba, and was probably planning to hand over his gift and head for the door as quickly as possible. Well, at least he and Jonouchi wouldn’t have time to fight.

Yugi went upstairs to his room, where Jonouchi was stretched out on his futon, still sound asleep. Yugi knelt down beside him. Jonouchi’s long hair fell across his face, his mouth was slightly open as if he was about to say something. One hand was curled into a tight fist, gripping the edge of the pillow. Even in sleep, he always looked like he was about to leap into action. Yugi smiled a bit sadly. He knew it was going to take some time for Jonouchi to get through his grief, but it hurt him to see his friend suffer so much. Especially when a lot of it was unnecessary—he still blamed himself for his father’s death, and drove himself to exhaustion trying to fix everything.

“Jonouchi,” he said softly, putting a hand on Jonouchi’s shoulder.

Jonouchi mumbled something, lifted his fist to rub his eyes, the pillow still tight in his hand, then squinted up at Yugi. “Is it dinnertime?”

“Soon. But first, we have visitors. The Kaiba brothers are downstairs.”

“Unh. What do they want? You talk to them, Yugi.”

“They’re here to see you. They came to offer condolences.”

Jonouchi moaned, then rolled over, pushing himself up. “What for? They don’t even like me.”

“Yes, they do. Even if Kaiba’s too stubborn to act like it. Anyway, they’re here, and you should come downstairs. It won’t take long.”

“All right, all right. I’ll be down in a minute.” Jonouchi brushed the hair out of his eyes and tried to smile. “I feel kinda....”

Yugi patted Jonouchi’s arm. “Okay.”

Back downstairs in the store, Yugi found Kaiba and Mokuba cataloging the Kaiba Corp games and toys on the shelves. He told them that Jonouchi would be down soon, then let Kaiba quiz him on which items sold best, and why, while they waited.

When Jonouchi finally came down the stairs, Yugi had to wonder why it had taken him so long. He was still wearing the same clothes, wrinkled from being slept in. He hadn’t even really combed his hair, just run his fingers through it. He had a sullen look on his face, and his eyes were red—that must be it, Yugi thought. He’d been crying again.

“Ah, Jonouchi. Here you are.”

Jonouchi came in to stand in front of the counter, leaning back, arms crossed. “Hey, Mokuba. Kaiba.”

Mokuba stepped forward, pulling an envelope out of his pocket. It was thick, pure white paper with black and sliver decorations, a classic design for a funeral gift. He presented it formally, holding it in both hands. “Jonouchi, we’re sorry about your father. Please accept this gift.”

Jonouchi straightened up, and took the envelope with the same formality. “Thank you.” He didn’t open it, but held it to his chest. He looked over Mokuba’s shoulder to Kaiba standing behind him. Kaiba looked back. They held each other’s gaze for a moment that stretched out until Yugi was about to throw out some random comment just to break the tension.

Then Kaiba put his hand on Mokuba’s shoulder, murmuring his name. Mokuba moved aside, and Kaiba stepped foreward to stand before Jonouchi.

“Jonouchi,” he said. “Do you remember the Duel Tower I built for the Battle City finals?”

Jonouchi’s eyes narrowed. “Of course I remember.” Jonouchi had nearly died in the Battle City finals. It wasn’t something he would forget.

“I built the Duel Tower on the ruins of my father’s Kaiba Corporation. I built it to defeat him, and destroy the evil my father had left in my heart.”

“Yeah...?” Jonouchi said tentatively.

Kaiba drew himself up and announced, “Jonouchi! Build your own Duel Tower on the wreckage of your father’s life, and use it to overcome his legacy!” Kaiba gestured dramatically with his fist. “Then blow it up! Live your own dream.”

Jonouchi started back, clearly not expecting such a pronouncement from Kaiba. But then he straightened up, a determined look on his face. He nodded. “I will.”

“Good,” Kaiba said. “All right, Mokuba. Let’s go.” He turned and swept away.

Mokuba shrugged, grinning at Yugi and Jonouchi. “See you, guys!” He hurried after his brother.

After the Kaiba brothers had left and he’d locked the door behind them, Yugi went up to Jonouchi. “Jonouchi, what’s in the envelope?”

“Oh. Yeah, I almost forgot about that.” Jonouchi opened the envelope and pulled out a thick sheaf of bills. “Damn!” He quickly leafed through them, counting. “Oh, man, I can’t....” he looked at Yugi, nearly in tears. “It’s two hundred thousand yen! It’s way too much, I can’t take this.”

“Of course you can. Kaiba wanted you to have it.”

“It’s ten times what a funeral gift should be! And I didn’t even invite him to the funeral. Damn, does this mean I have to invite him now?”

Yugi couldn’t help giggling. “Better not. You know he wouldn’t come.”

Jonouchi gave a small laugh. “I guess not. But man, I never expected this! This will pay for my half of funeral. I won’t have to go back to work at the factory. I can take care of the arrangements and then... I really can live my dream.”

“So, Jonouchi, what is your dream?”

Jonouchi stood with a faraway look in his eyes. “I have an idea. But I’m going to have to work on it. I’ll let you know.”

* * *

Six months later, Jonouchi stood in the reception area of the Kaiba Corp office building, holding a large wooden box in his arms, arguing with the receptionist. No, he didn’t have an appointment. No, talking to one of Kaiba’s assistants wouldn’t do. No, he wouldn’t leave the box to be delivered. He’d hand it to Seto Kaiba with his own hands, or it would leave with him.

“Just tell him it’s Katsuya Jonouchi,” Jonouchi repeated for the sixth time. “If he doesn’t want to see me, I’ll go. Just tell him I’m here.”

The receptionist seemed out of her depth. Finally, she picked up her phone and made a call. She smiled uncomfortably. “Please, sir, someone will be here soon to help you.”

Jonouchi nodded, shifting the box from one arm to the other. He supposed he should have called to let Kaiba know he was coming, but he’d been so excited to finally finish his project, it hadn’t occurred to him that he couldn’t just walk into Kaiba’s office with it. Anyway, he didn’t have Kaiba’s personal phone number, and calling the office number would probably have just gotten him the same runaround. Oh well. He was here now, he’d give it a little more time.

About ten minutes later, Jonouchi heard a voice behind him. “Mr Jonouchi, I’m sorry you’ve been kept waiting.”

Jonouchi turned to see a famiiar face—it was Kaiba’s right-hand man, who’d refereed the Battle City tournament. “Isono, isn’t it? I remember you.”

“Yes, that’s right. Come with me, please, I’ll take you to Mr Kaiba right away.”

“Thanks. I was just about to give up and leave.” Jonouchi followed Isono through a door that led behind the reception area.

“I’m sorry. The receptionist is new. She wasn’t aware of the permanent guest list.”

“The permanent what list?”

“Mr Kaiba’s friends, who are to be sent up to see him immediately if they should call,” Isono led them to a private elevator with only one destination. “This will take us directly to Mr Kaiba’s offices.”

“Kaiba’s friends? I—” Jonouchi stopped himself from saying that he didn’t think Kaiba had any friends. “I didn’t know he thought I was his friend.”

“Of course, Mr Jonouchi. You and Mr Mutou are welcome here any time.”

“Huh.” Jonouchi didn’t know what to say to that. He leaned back against the back wall of the elevator car, and shifted the box in his arms again. He wondered if he should have done more to decorate the box. It was lightly oiled wood, edges carefully planed smooth and sides joined with precise dovetailed cuts, an elegant piece of work on its own, but maybe he should have wrapped it in a cloth as well. Too late now. It would have to do.

When the elevator stopped and the door opened, Mokuba was standing there to greet them. “Jonouchi! Welcome! You’ve never been to our offices before, have you?”

“No, I haven’t. Thanks for seeing me.” Jonouchi was becoming a little intimidated by all the fuss. What had he been thinking? That he’d just casually stroll into the office of the president of a major corporation without anyone thinking anything about it?

“No, we’re glad you’re here. —Thanks, Isono, I’ll take it from here.” Jonouchi stepped out of the elevator, leaving Isono behind. The door soon closed behind him and Jonouchi was following Mokuba into a suite of offices with huge picture windows overlooking Domino, then through a heavy oak door into a smaller office, warm and comfortably furnished with sofas and easy chairs, a cabinet and a small refrigerator, large flat-screen TV on the wall, and a sleek, modern desk, where Kaiba sat tapping away at a laptop computer.

Kaiba looked up when Jonouchi and Mokuba came in. “Hello, Jonouchi. This is a surprise.”

“Kaiba.” Jonouchi hastily shifted the box into his left arm, and held out his right for a handshake. He felt his face burning. Damn Kaiba for always intimidating him. He was really making a mess of this. He took the box in both hands and held it out. “Here, this is for you.”

Kaiba took the box and set it on his desk. “This wasn’t necessary, but thank you.”

“No, it was necessary. Not just as a thank you for the funeral gift, but for what you said to me, about the Duel Tower.” Jonouchi drew himself up. He had something to say to Kaiba, and damn it, he was going to say it. “What you said, that meant a lot to me. It made me really think about what I was going to do with my life.” Jonouchi paused for a moment, then continued.

“There’s this master woodworker who lives over on the west side of town. I’ve been visiting him for years. He makes all these great things, mostly by hand. Furniture, boxes, carved figures. He’d let me use his tools sometimes and goof around in his shop. I’d go there to work on models and garage kits we didn’t have room for at my apartment. He told me I had a good eye and steady hand, and I loved making things at his place, but I thought it was just playing with toys, and I’d end up a salaryman like my father.

“But you told me to blow it all up and live my dream. So I built my Duel Tower.” Jonouchi smiled. “I went to Master Tanaka and asked him to take me as an apprentice, so I could learn to be a woodworker like him. He didn’t want to at first. He said he couldn’t afford to support me or give me a place to stay, and I said that was fine, I’m staying with my friend Yugi and working part time at his store, so all I needed was someone to teach me. And finally he agreed, so I’ve been studying with him ever since.”

Jonouchi indicated the box on Kaiba’s desk. “That’s the first big project I made. I’ve been working on it for months. Master Tanaka checked it every step of the way and made sure I got everything just right. Why don’t you open it?”

Kaiba looked a little reluctant. No doubt he wasn’t expecting much, and he’d rather open it later, so he could make fun of it and toss it away without Jonouchi around. But with Jonouchi’s direct invitation, he couldn’t very well refuse. He slid the lid off the box and looked inside.

Kaiba’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. “This....” he muttered. He looked up at Jonouchi in shock, then back into the box. He reached in, carefully, and lifted out the figure inside.

It was a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, carved and assembled from slabs of pale pine, with beads of clear blue glass inset for eyes. It stood on its hind legs, wings spread and head turned to its right, mouth open as if roaring. Jonouchi had studied photographs of the card carefully to get the proportions and character just right, but with enough variation to give it his own distinct touch. It had taken months, a lot of tears and frustration, re-doing the parts endlessly, waiting breathlessly for his master to accept or reject each piece. The left wing alone had been redone at least eight times. He’d spent weeks on simpler projects, practicing to learn the skills he needed for the more complicated wings and claws and dragon’s teeth. So many times he’d wanted to throw the whole thing against the wall, and admit that it was hopeless trying to do such a difficult project right away, and give up. But he’d stuck with it, and finally it was done.

Kaiba set the dragon on his desk. It was perfectly balanced, sitting solidly on two legs and the base of its tail, but dynamic enough to appear ready to leap into flight. “This....” Kaiba repeated. He seemed utterly at a loss for words.

Jonouchi grinned to himself. About time he’d done something to impress Kaiba!

Mokuba went to stand by his brother, looking at the dragon figure in delight. “It’s beautiful, Jonouchi! You really made it all by yourself?”

“All by myself. Master Tanaka checked every piece and made me do it over if it wasn’t good enough, but I did all the work myself.”

“Amazing,” Kaiba finally said, his voice rough. “I don’t believe it. My Blue-Eyes.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Jonouchi’s voice was quieter than he meant it to be. It was hard to gloat when Kaiba was being so thoroughly overwhelmed.

“I do like it.” Kaiba looked up from the dragon. “Thank you, Jonouchi. I... I’ll keep it in here, on my desk, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure. That’s great. Oh, I made the box, too. You don’t have to keep it, though.”

Kaiba laughed softly. “It belongs to the Blue-Eyes. I’ll keep it.”

“Okay, well, I’ll be going now. Can somebody help me find my way out of here?”

“I’ll go down with you, Jonouchi,” Mokuba offered. He started for the door, and Jonouchi followed. He turned at the door to say a final farewell to Kaiba, but Kaiba was standing at his desk, staring wonderingly at the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Jonouchi decided to leave him to it.

In the elevator, Jonouchi turned to Mokuba. “I guess I really should be thanking you—I’m sure the funeral gift was all your idea, anyway. Sorry I only made a gift for Kaiba. I’ll make you something next.”

“No, Jonouchi, it really was my brother’s idea to send the gift. All I did was suggest we deliver it in person. And the speech about the Duel Tower—that was all Big Brother. I was as surprised as you when he said that! So don’t worry. Anyway, the look on his face when he saw your dragon was all I need. You made him happy, and that makes me happy.”

“Okay. But I’m sure it was your idea to put me and Yugi on the ‘permanent guest list.’”

Mokuba laughed. “You got me there.” Then his face turned serious. “I was hoping something like this would happen. My brother needs friends, even though he doesn’t think so. I’m so glad you came today.”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

* * *

Jonouchi arrived home a while later. He had a key for the entrance around back that led directly up to the living quarters, but he liked going in through the store when it was open, so he could say hello to Grandpa and Yugi. “I’m back,” he said as he came through the door.

“Welcome home,” Grandpa and Yugi called out in unison.

There were a couple of customers in the store, so Jonouchi didn’t stop to talk, but headed for the stairs.

Aunt was in the kitchen working on dinner. “Good evening, Katsuya. How was your day?”

“It was great, Aunt! I’ll tell you all about it at dinner.” He continued on up the stairs, past Yugi’s door and down a short hall to another door—his room. He walked in, dropped his jacket on the back of a chair, and just stood there, smiling. It was a former storage room, really not much more than a large closet, but it was enough for him. He’d built the furniture himself: cabinet for his futon, desk and chair, wardrobe. There were other things he wanted to do with it, but he was satisfied with what he’d done so far. He’d have more time to work on it, now that he’d finished Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

At dinner, he told everyone about his visit to Kaiba Corp. “You should have seen Kaiba’s face! When he saw that Blue-Eyes....”

“I wish I could have been there,” Yugi said.

“Yeah, well, guess what? You and I are on Kaiba’s ‘permanent guest list.’ We can go there and visit whenever we want.”

“I’d like to go visit him.”

"You can see my Blue-Eyes sitting on his desk in his private office! That’s where he said he wanted to keep it.”

“That’s great, Jonouchi.” Yugi’s eyes were shining.

He remembered what Mokuba had said about being happy because Kaiba was happy. It was the same with him and Yugi, Jonouchi thought. When one of them was happy, the other one was happy, too. He felt a rush of affection for Yugi so strong he thought his heart would burst.

Later, Jonouchi followed Yugi up the stairs to their rooms. They stopped at Yugi’s door to say goodnight, but Jonouchi wasn’t quite ready to go to bed yet. “Hey, Yugi, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure.” Yugi held the door to his room open, and they both went inside and sat on Yugi’s bed, Yugi at the head, and Jonouchi cross-legged at the foot. Jonouchi looked around at all of Yugi’s familiar things: the desk below the slanted window, scattered with games and toys, the bed they were sitting on, the wardrobe full of Yugi’s clothes. Much as he loved having his own room, Jonouchi sometimes missed sleeping on Yugi’s floor.

“Yugi, I’m sorry,” he blurted out.

Yugi’s eyes widened in surprise. “For what?” 

“I’ve been so busy lately, staying late at work, finishing stupid Kaiba’s gift—we hardly see each other. And when we do, it’s either working in the store or saying good night after a long day. We don’t spend time together. I miss that. I miss you!”

“I miss you, too, Jonouchi. But it’s okay, I know how important it was for you to make that gift for Kaiba. It had to be something special, because he’s so....”

“Because he’s such a stuck up rich jerk.”

Yugi laughed. “I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but yeah. You had to make something worthy of the funeral gift he gave you.”

“Yeah.” _And also something that would prove to him that I’m not a loser,_ Jonouchi thought. He didn’t have to say that out loud. Yugi knew. “But now that I’m done with that, I don’t have to work quite so hard. Master Tanaka said I should start taking a day off once a week, and I told him I’d take Wednesdays, when the game store is closed, so you and I can hang out together.”

“Oh, that’s great, Jonouchi!”

“And I won’t be staying late most nights, so we’ll see more of each other after work, too.”

Yugi smiled widely. “I’m glad. I really have missed you. It’s funny, even though we live in the same house now, we don’t see each other as much as we did in high school.”

Jonouchi sighed. “You know, back when we were in high school, even with all the stuff that happened—Kaiba’s Death-T tournament, Pegasus and Duelist Kingdom—”

“Hirutani trying to make you join his gang, and you saving me from the fire—”

“Bakura and Marik’s evil sides both trying to kill us—”

“The other me’s memory world—”

“All those things we went through,” Jonouchi shook his head. “We were in it together, and that was all that mattered.”

“Yup,” Yugi agreed.

Jonouchi laughed ruefully. “Growing up is weird.”

“Yeah...” Yugi grew pensive. “Sometimes I don’t want to grow up, if it means having to stop being friends like we were.”

“We’ll never stop!” Jonouchi held out his hand, palm down. “We promised on Anzu’s happy face, we’ll be friends forever!”

Yugi smiled, and held out his hand next to Jonouchi’s. But with only two hands, the circle of friendship Anzu had drawn on them was incomplete. “Yeah,” Yugi said, smile fading, “we’ll always be friends. But Anzu’s in New York, Honda’s got his job, you’re busy with your work. It’s not the same.”

Jonouchi sighed. He couldn’t bear to see Yugi sad, but what could he do? Things were changing, whether they wanted them to or not.

Then he spotted the Millennium Puzzle box on Yugi’s desk. “Yugi, what’s something you can see, but can’t see?”

Yugi followed Jonouchi’s gaze. “The Puzzle! But it’s gone now, too. The other me has gone on to the afterlife.”

“But you’ve still got the box. You’d never let it go, right? You keep it safe always.”

“Yup,” Yugi agreed. “It’s my treasure.”

“Well, I have a treasure, too, remember? ‘What you can see, but can’t see.’ Our friendship. I’ll always hold onto it.”

Yugi’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. “I made a wish on the Puzzle for a good friend, and my wish came true.”

“Yugi, the Puzzle had nothing to do with it. When you stood up to that bully, Ushio, and told him you wouldn’t hurt me and Honda because we were your friends, and you let him beat you up instead—that was when I knew we were friends. You hadn’t even put the Puzzle together yet. I know, because one piece was still at the bottom of the pool where I tossed it. I knew then I was wrong for being mean to you, and I got the Puzzle piece back for you. Because you were my friend.”

Yugi’s eyes widened. He had to have always known, Jonouchi thought, but somehow Yugi had never really thought about the timing before. He’d put the Puzzle together, and made his wish, and the next morning Jonouchi told him they were friends—that was how it looked to Yugi. But it wasn’t the Puzzle that made Jonouchi his friend. About time he realized it.

Yugi looked over at the Puzzle box, studying it, as if for the first time. He turned back to Jonouchi with a smile. “You have a good treasure, Jonouchi. Maybe even better than mine.”

Jonouchi shrugged. “It’s your treasure, too. It doesn’t work without the both of us. So, you know, if you get married and have a bunch of little Yugis, or travel the world promoting some fancy new game, or whatever, I’ll be right there with you.”

“What about your work?” Yugi asked, smiling.

“All I need is my carving tools and a few pieces of wood and I’m good. I can work anywhere.”

Yugi glanced at the Puzzle box again. “Could you carve a box like the Puzzle box?”

“Sure. Compared to Kaiba’s stupid dragon, it would be easy. But why would you want a wooden box like that when you have a gold one? I could make you something different. Maybe a Black Magician figure or something.”

“Black Magician is the other me—Atem’s—special card. It was mine, too, when we were dueling together, but now, I want something just for me. And you. Something that shows our treasures. Both of them.”

“Something you can see, but can’t see, huh? That’s going to be a little tricky. Maybe a puzzle box... I mean, a box that is a puzzle, not one that holds a puzzle.” Jonouchi began picturing designs in his mind, shuffling through them like a deck of cards. This was his favorite thing, thinking about what to make, how to make it, what tools to use, which woods would work best. The plans began to take root. He could hardly wait to start working on it. “I’ll talk to Master Tanaka about it. I’ll make us something really special, you’ll see.”

“I know you will, Jonouchi,” Yugi said. “I believe in you.”

Jonouchi grinned at him, then got up. “Well, I’m going to bed now. Remember, next Wednesday, you and me.”

Yugi nodded his agreement. “Good night, Jonouchi.”

Jonouchi went into his room smiling. He’d managed to impress Kaiba with his woodworking skills today! That was something he never thought would happen. And now was going to make something for Yugi that would be so special, Yugi would never doubt their friendship again! He was living his dream, and it was everything he’d hoped for.

He pulled his futon out of its cabinet and rolled it out on the floor, then paused to look around his room. He never quite got over the wonder of having a room of his own, here in his best friend’s home. “I wish you could see me now, Dad,” he said quietly. “I hope you’d be proud of me.”

He’d never know. But he was proud of himself, and that was what counted. He’d conquered the pain and guilt his father had left him, and made his own life.

Maybe his next project—after whatever he ended up making for Yugi, of course—should be a Duel Tower.

\- end -


End file.
